The present invention relates to a lubricant composition, which can widely be applied to metal processing such as cutting, grinding and plastic working.
As cutting oils widely used in the fields of, for instance, cutting and grinding working, there have been known a water-insoluble cutting oil composition, which mainly comprises a mineral oil, and water-soluble cutting oil composition, which comprises, for instance, a mineral oil, a surfactant and an organic amine compound and which is diluted prior to the practical use.
Regarding the cutting oil composition, there has recently been desired for the development of an oil composition, which is mild to the earth environment and can further withstand the long-term service, as compared with conventional cutting oil compositions from the recent viewpoint of the saving of natural resources and the prevention of the earth environmental pollution.
As an example of such techniques, there has been used a synthetic metal-processing oil composition, which is free of any mineral oil, for the purpose of the clarification of working environment. Such a synthetic metal-processing oil composition is advantageous in that it can maintain the transparency thereof even after the dilution thereof with water and that it has a high resistance to any decomposition or putrefaction. As conventional water-soluble metal-processing oils, there have been known, for instance, a lubricant composition comprising a hydroxy carboxylic acid-oxyalkylene adduct (see Japanese Un-Examined Patent Publication (hereunder referred to as xe2x80x9cJ. P. KOKAIxe2x80x9d) No. Hei 6-100875) and a water-soluble cutting oil composition (see J.P. KOKAI No. Hei 8-239683).
However, these conventionally known synthetic metal-processing oil compositions suffer from a problem such that they cannot, in general, be favorably used in the processing, which requires an extremely high lubricating action, such as form-rolling tap and deep hole boring.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lubricant composition, which shows excellent processing characteristics when it is used as a lubricating agent for metal-processing including cutting and grinding, which is stable and can maintain its transparency even after the dilution with water, which is excellent in the resistance to decomposition or putrefaction and which does not adversely affect the environment.
The inventors of this invention have conducted various investigations, have found that a lubricating agent highly resistant to decomposition or putrefaction and accordingly suitably used in the form rolling tap and deep hole boring by the incorporation of a specific carboxylic acid or its salt and a specific synthetic oil into a lubricating agent and have thus completed the present invention.
According to the present invention, there is provided a lubricant composition, which comprises (1) at least one member selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid compounds each obtained by the addition of an oxyalkylene group to a hydroxyl group of a hydroxy carboxylic acid and alkali metal salts and amine salts thereof; and (2) at least one base oil selected from the group consisting of alkyl benzene, normal paraffin, isoparaffin and xcex1-olefin.
The compound used in the lubricant composition of the present invention as the component (1) is at least one member selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid compounds each obtained by the addition of an oxyalkylene group to a hydroxyl group of a hydroxy carboxylic acid, which carries at least one hydroxyl group and at least one carboxyl group, and alkali metal salts and amine salts thereof.
The hydroxy carboxylic acid used in the present invention may be a saturated or unsaturated one and preferably has 7 to 26 carbon atoms. Examples of such hydroxy carboxylic acids are aliphatic hydroxy carboxylic acids and aromatic hydroxy carboxylic acids.
Specific examples of the aliphatic hydroxy carboxylic acids are monohydroxy monocarboxylic acids such as hydroxy pelargonic acid, hydroxy capric acid, hydroxy lauric acid, hydroxy myristic acid, hydroxy palmitic acid, hydroxy stearic acid, hydroxy arachic acid, hydroxy behenic acid, ricinoleic acid and hydroxy octadecenoic acid; monohydroxy dicarboxylic acids such as hydroxy sebacic acid and hydroxy octyldecane diacid; monohydroxy tricarboxylic acid such as norcaperatic acid and agaricic acid; dihydroxy monocarboxylic acids such as ipurolic acid, dihydroxy hexadecanoic acid, dihydroxy stearic acid, dihydroxy octadecenoic acid and dihydroxy octadecane dienoic acid; dihydroxy dicarboxylic acids such as dihydroxy dodecane diacid, dihydroxy hexadecane diacid, furoic acid and dihydroxy hexacosane diacid; trihydroxy monocarboxylic acids such as trihydroxy hexadecanoic acid (ustic acid-B) and trnhydioxy octadecanoic acid; and tetrahydroxy monocarboxylic acid such as tetrahydroxy octadecanoic acid. In addition, specific examples thereof also include castor oil fatty acids derived from naturally occurring oils and fats and hardened castor oil fatty acids.
In addition, specific examples of aromatic hydroxy carboxylic acids include hydroxy benzoic acid, dihydroxy benzoic acid, trihydroxy benzoic acid, hydroxy methyl benzoic acid, hydroxy dimethyl benzoic acid, hydroxy isopropyl benzoic acid, hydroxy isopropyl methyl benzoic acid, dihydroxy methyl benzoic acid, hydroxy phthalic acid, dihydroxy phthalic acid, trihydroxy phthalic acid, hydroxy isophthalic acid, dihydroxy isophthalic acid, trihydroxy isophthalic acid, hydroxy methyl isophthalic acid, hydroxy terephthalic acid, dihydroxy terephthalic acid, divaric acid, olivetol carboxylic acid and spherophoruric carboxylic acid.
The oxyalkylene group may preferably be oxyethylene group, oxypropylene group or mixed oxyethylene and oxypropylene groups and the molar number of the added oxyalkylene groups preferably ranges from 1 to 200 and more preferably 1 to 50.
Examples of alkali metal salts are sodium, potassium and lithium salts. For instance, the alkali metal salt may be a salt of a carboxylic acid compound obtained through a saponification reaction of an oxyalkylene adduct of castor oil.
Examples of amines constituting the amine salts include diethanolamine, tri eth anolamine, monoisoprop anolamine, triisopropanolamine, methyl diethanolamine, dimethyl ethanolamine, 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, 2-(2-aminoethoxy) ethanol, diethyl monoisopropanolamine, N,N-dibutylamino-ethanol, N,N-di-n-butylamino-isopropanol, N,N-di-n-propylamino-isoprop anol, N,N-di-t-butyl diethanolamine, N,N-ethylenediamine (diisoprop anol), N ,N-ethylenediamine (diethanol), mono-n-butyl di-ethanolamine, monoethyl diisopropanolamine and 2-amino-2-methyl ethanol.
As the alkylbenzene used in the lubricant composition of the present invention as the component (2), there may be listed, for instance, monoalkylbenzenes (having a molecular weight ranging from 218 to 274) and dialkylbenzenes (having a molecular weight ranging from 358 to 470) each carrying an alkyl group having 10 to 14 (about 12) carbon atoms and specific examples thereof are decylbenzene, undecylbenzene, dodecylbenzene, tridecylbenzene, di-decylbenzene, di-undecylbenzene, di-dodecyl-benzene and di-tridecylbenzene.
The normal paraffins usable herein may be, for instance, those having about 12 to 14 carbon atoms (having a molecular weight ranging from 170 to 198) and specific examples thereof include decane, undecane, dodecane, tridecane and tetradecane. The isoparaffins usable herein may be, for instance, those carrying about 12 to 14 carbon atoms (having a molecular weight ranging from 170 to 198 and specific examples thereof are isodecane, isoundecane, isododecane, isotridecane and isotetradecane. The xcex1-olefin usable herein may be, for instance, those having about 12 to 14 carbon atoms (having a molecular weight ranging from 168 to 196) and specific examples thereof are decene, undecene, dodecene, tridecene and tetradecene.
In the lubricant composition of the present invention, the ratio (by mass) of the component (1) to the component (2) preferably ranges from 1:20 to 20:1. This is because if the rate of the component (1) is less than the lower limit, the resulting lubricant composition is not always sufficient in the stability to the dilution with hard water, while if it is greater than the upper limit, the resulting lubricant composition is not always stable and the resulting liquid may often be in the form of a gel.
The lubricant composition of the present invention can be used as a metal-processing oil composition such as cutting oil composition and a grinding oil composition after it is blended with, for instance, a fatty acid, an amine, water, a mineral oil and/or an emulsifying agent. The lubricant composition may be used as a metal-processing oil composition without incorporation of any other component or may be used after it is diluted 5 to 200 times with water.
When the lubricant composition of the present invention is diluted before the practical use, the total content of the effective components (1) and (2) after the dilution suitably ranges from 0.5 to 10% by mass.
The lubricant composition of the present invention may, if necessary, comprise an antibacterial agent. Examples of such antibacterial agents are amines such as diethanolamine, triethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine, triisopropanolamine, methyl diethanolamine, dimethyl ethanolamine, 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, 2-(2-amino-ethoxy)ethanol, diethyl monoisopropanolamine, N,N-dibutylamino-ethanol, N,N-di-n-butylamino-isopropanol, N,N-di-n-propylamino-isopropanol, N,N-di-t-butyl diethanolamine, N,N-ethylenediamine (diisopropanol), N,N-ethylenediamine (diethanol), mono-n-butyl diethanolamine, monoethyl diisopropanolamine, 2-amino-2-methyl ethanol, cyclohexylamine, dicyclohexylamine, 1,3-bisaminomethyl cyclohexane, metaxylene-diamine and morpholine; alkylamines represented by lauiylamine and oleylamine; and oxyethylene adducts thereof.
Furthermore, the lubricant composition of the present invention may, if necessary, comprise a rust-proofmig agent. Examples of such rust proofing agents include fatty acids such as caproic acid, enanthic acid, capric acid, pelargonic acid, caprylic acid, undecanoic acid, undecylenic acid, dodecanoic acid, tridecanoic acid, pentadecanoic acid, heptadecanoic acid, nonadecanoic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachic acid, behenic acid, isostearic acid, elaidic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, erucic acid, azelaic acid, hydroxy lauric acid, hydroxy myristic acid, hydroxy palmitic acid, hydroxy stearic acid, hydroxy arachic acid, hydroxy behenic acid, ricinoleic acid, hydroxy octadecenoic acid, sebacic acid, dodecane diacid, dodecyl succinic acid, lauryl succinic acid, stearyl succinic acid, isostearyl succinic acid, dimeric acids and linoleic acid-methacrylic acid condensate (trade name: DA-1550 available from Harima Chemicals, inc.); sulfonic acid salts such as sodium petroleum sulfonate; carboxylic acid amides; alkenyl succinic acids; and carboxylic acid sarcosides.
The lubricant composition of the present invention may further comprise other additives and examples thereof are silicone type anti-foaming agents, alcohol type anti-foaming agents, triazine type preservatives, alkyl benzimidazole type preservatives or metal rust proofing agents, benzothiazole type metal rust proofing agents, nonionic surfactants such as polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, polyoxyethylene alkyl phenyl ether and carboxylic acid alkanolamides, coupling agents such as polyhydric alcohols, glycols and water, inorganic salts such as phosphates, carbonates, borates and silicates, metal-chelating agents such as EDTA, and oiliness improving agents such as oxidization waxes, naturally occurring oils and fats, synthetic oils and fats, synthetic esters and high molecular weight polymers.
The total amount of these additives in general ranges from 1:20 to 20:1 as expressed in terms of the ratio by mass with respect to the foregoing effective components, provided that the amount of water is omitted.